Indy Q&A: Interblock CEO charts electronic table gam

John Connelly spent his first years as CEO of Interblock Gaming getting the North American 賭場 industry comfortable with the idea of​​ offering customers electronic table games.

Connelly was a top executive at 插槽 machine giant 巴利 Technologies for 11 years before it was acquired by Scientific Games in 2014 for $5.1 billion. A year later, he joined Interblock, a privately held Slovenian-based company, to help increase the company thes marketd Slovenian-based company, to help increase the company increase the company thes market

Interest in electronic table games — traditional table games that are played through an interactive video format much like a slot machine — grew in his eight years as Interblock's CEO.

But the game changed for Connelly in June 2022 after Oaktree Capital, one of the world's largest private equity funds, acquired Interblock and provided the company with the financing needed to increase its research and deopment division and expence the financing needed to increase its research and deopment division and expence.

Connelly became a senior advisor for Oaktree's gaming division, which has expanded to include J&J Ventures, an Illinois-based slot machine route operator that is buying Las Vegas-based Golden Entertainment's slot route busine that 是

Oaktree is also acquiring Mesquite Gaming, which operates the Casablanca Resort and Virgin River Hotel.

In the summer, Interblock acquired Aruze Gaming's electronic table game business and integrated the devices into its product line after the Japanese company filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation of its American business. Financial its American.

Interblock said at the time that adding Aruze's electronic table games would “accelerate” several of the company's growth initiatives. Interblock also took over Aruze's US offices in Lasstate movings, moving the company over Aruze's US offices in Lasstate movings, moving the company over Aruze's US offices in Lasstate movings, moving the sh 215, XNUMX Boulevard.

At October's Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, Interblock rolled out its fourth new category of casino products, including a tournament feature — allowing gamblers to compete against each other — for the company's stadium gamblers to compete against each other — for the company's stadium gaming platform.

Interblock's stadium casino platform can be configured with automated, video or dealer-assisted generators and live table gaming opportunities, depending on the size of the casino.

「We've been successful with the stadium concept that is in 90 percent of the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip,」 Connelly said in an interview on Nov. 7.

該訪談經過了編輯，以使內容更清晰，更詳盡。

How have electronic table games evolved since you joined Interblock?

The initial perception in North American casinos of an electronic table game was a mechanical 輪盤賭 wheel sitting in a group of slot machines. The games were [overseen] by slot managers and they weren't perceived as a true table game.

A casino floor has 1,000 different 插槽 with 100 different variations designed for hundreds of different types of players. We didn't believe electronic tables should [be] lumped in with slot machines. Our mission statement and vision were to be synonymous table gam. different features and functionality designed to attract different types of players on a casino floor. It's very similar to what you would find in the slot machine segment.

豪 do you achieve the company's goal?

You have to build a matrix with your primary games, such as 酒杯, craps, roulette and 百家樂, but you then have to design a table game with the same idea that you talk about a slot machine with bonuses and wagering opportunities. We have roulette games with dual wheels and enhanced craps games.

Did your background in traditional slot machines help you in this role?

Single-player [slot machines] is a type of experience that is a little more solitary, where players can go at their own speed. That product category has taken off and evolved.

When we walked onto casino floors after COVID, we saw thousands of players in traditional game pits, but it wasn't innovative. The last true innovation people would consider noteworthy for table games was the uto that shleragoy that shler matic's gam games.

We created a technology umbrella that we placed over traditional table game pits that provided dealers with the ability to make more decisions per hour. It provided a higher house advantage, more customer service, and a greater level higher house advantage, more customer service, and a greater level .

Electronic tables don't use chips for wagering. Was that a hurdle to overcome?

。 checked, there were no chips with online gaming.

Online casinos are in seven states. Expansion in the US has been slow. What are your thoughts on growth in the US?

We saw the casino industry put a ton of emphasis behind sports betting expansion and it was very successful in gaining traction. I can almost guarantee you that the next round of initiatives out of the gaming to 2025, com the online. There is a ton of money to be made in regulated online wagering.

What is the company's online table game potential?

Interblock will enter the space from a traditional perspective [as a provider of content] and from a live-streaming perspective. In New Jersey, Michigan and Pennsylvania, traditional casino numbers are plateauing somemounts In less than 24 online that the amounts that thelem the lemh smounts lem thes le dwlewem​​st the led leh le dwulwulw低低低低低點低低點 低點 句柄 that lem thele let lehh低低低低低點 smountsmount lemh 低低低低低點 低點 低低點 低低mounter mountsmounts mountle 線上） 它us decades to achieve in traditional casinos. It's foolish to ignore that when online enters the market, it is incremental to a level that in many ways surpasses the traditional scope.

We believe strongly the catalyst to table games online should be derived from the traditional casino floor. We are helping the traditional gaming sector be an influencer and then a participant in online gaming. We thfinite there is.

Nearly 10 年 ago, we saw 抽獎 giant Scientific Games buy slot machine companies Bally and WMS while GTECH acquired IGT. Now the lottery companies are being split from the gaming equipment side. Why is that happening?

I started my career in the lottery business. I thought it was a wise move to take the longevity and cash flow of the lottery industry and move it into the casino sector. They are two distinct businesses and it'scollat​​ion.

However, it was too complex for Wall Street and others to evaluate. Wall Street tends to dictate how they want to evaluate things to give you the highest multiples. [The recent sale of Scientific Games, creating casino gaming multiples. [The recent sale of Scientific Games, creating casino gaming-centric that gamings's as businesses.